In a chilling case that exposes the dark grip of superstition, a couple was brutally murdered over suspicions of practising black magic.
Their bodies were recovered from an abandoned well eight days after they went missing, and police have now arrested five people from the same village in connection with the gruesome double murder.
The victims have been identified as Khageswar Soren and his wife Tuni Soren, residents of Hulabahali Sahi under Daitari police station limits. The couple had not been seen since June 25. Their decomposed remains were pulled out of a deserted well on Wednesday, triggering shock and outrage in the quiet rural area.
According to preliminary investigation, the killings were carried out because the couple was suspected of indulging in sorcery and black magic practices — a deadly superstition that continues to claim lives in parts of rural Odisha. The five arrested persons, all from the same village, have been identified as Shiba Munda, Renga Bandra, Anup Hembam, Anjus Tapno and Panchu Hansda.
Police described the murder as “brutal and premeditated.” The accused allegedly lured the couple before killing them and dumping their bodies in the well to hide the crime. All five have been booked under relevant sections of the IPC and are currently in police custody.
The incident has once again highlighted the urgent need to eradicate blind beliefs that turn neighbours into killers. While the exact sequence of events is still being pieced together, the recovery of the bodies and quick arrests have brought some relief to the grieving family and the shocked village community.
Further investigation is underway.
